The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) on Monday picketed Abuja Continental Hotel over alleged violations of workers’ rights, including alleged denial of unionisation and collective bargaining.
The picketing led to the barricading of the hotel’s entrance for several hours, restricting vehicular movement in and out of the premises.
Speaking to journalists during the protest, TUC Secretary-General, Comrade Nuhu Toro, said the union had exhausted efforts to resolve the dispute through dialogue.
Toro said the union wrote to the hotel management on August 4, but was informed that ongoing renovation works would prevent discussions until the end of November.
He described the response as unacceptable, given the urgency of the workers’ concerns.
“The issue is very clear. Workers are being treated as slaves at Abuja Continental Hotel. Their rights are being violated,” Toro said.
According to him, TUC was demanding that the workers be allowed to exercise their rights to unionisation and collective bargaining, as guaranteed under Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution.
“We are here to exercise our fundamental right and press our demand that they do have a right to unionisation and collective bargaining,” he said.
Toro said the union had made relevant correspondence available to the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), adding that TUC remained open to dialogue with the hotel management.
“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, under the leadership of Comrade Osifo, is ready to dialogue. If they want to dialogue now, we are ready,” he said.
He said the picketing would continue until Friday, when the union would review the situation, stressing that TUC remained committed to resolving the dispute peacefully.
Also speaking, National President of the Hotel and Personal Services Senior Staff Association (HAPSSA), Mr William Adegbe, alleged that a similar dispute over unionisation had occurred at Continental Hotel in Lagos.
Adegbe alleged that workers at the Abuja hotel had been denied access to conditions of service and the right to associate following the takeover of the hotel by new investors after the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said HAPSSA and the National Union of Professional Service Industries (NUPSI) had written several letters seeking dialogue with the management before escalating the matter to TUC.
“Our letters and pleas for a meeting with the management have been ignored. That was why we escalated the matter to the labour centre, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,” Adegbe said.
He also alleged that some workers were intimidated during the picketing and urged TUC to defend their rights.
However, the workers’ representatives presented a different position, saying the employees did not support the picketing.
Spokesman for the workers’ representatives, Mr Samuel Esiakpoyere, said the employees were not aware of the alleged correspondence between the unions and the hotel management.
“To the best of our knowledge, this matter affects us. If there are correspondences, how many are there? We have not seen anything,” Esiakpoyere said.
He said the workers had not been adequately involved in the alleged engagements between the unions and management, adding that the management was making efforts to improve their welfare.
“The management is doing its best, and we know that whatever we are going through is going to get a lot better,” he said.
Esiakpoyere urged the unions to pursue their demands without disrupting the hotel’s operations or jeopardising the livelihoods of the workers.
He said the workers did not want the union to worsen their situation while attempting to address their concerns.
The dispute centres on the workers’ alleged right to unionisation and collective bargaining, with TUC insisting that the matter should be addressed through dialogue and in line with the rights guaranteed by law.
